Compensation for disadvantages for students with disabilities
Students with health impairments caused by a physical handicap, chronic ailment or psychological illness often encounter disadvantages during their studies and when taking exams. To prevent these individual and situation-related difficulties, the University of Münster provides measures to compensate for disadvantages when completing required coursework and examinations. The possibility of receiving compensation for disadvantages is stipulated in all examination regulations for degree programmes offered at the University of Münster.
Compensation for disadvantages does not mean that students with disabilities are allowed to take "short-cuts" or are "given a pass". Rather the provisions serve solely as a (formal) adjustment to the study and examination requirements. The subject-specific and content-based requirements remain unaffected.
Even if two students have the same diagnosis, their impairments can have very different effects on their respective study and examination situation. Therefore, every request for compensation for disadvantages must be individually assessed and should match the symptom-related needs of the student. Students may request compensation for disadvantages without submitting an official diagnosis. What we require is a statement from a physician or medical specialist, describing the student's symptoms and their corresponding effect on his/her studies. The requested measures and possible options for suitable compensation should be precisely outlined in an understandable manner with reference to the medical statements or certificates.
If you have questions concerning these possibilities and measures or are unsure whether and what kind of effects – positive or negative – a request for compensation for disadvantages might have, we urge you to speak with the staff at the Student Advice and Counselling Centre (ZSB) [de] who offer transdisciplinary and confidential consultation. If you are preparing a request for compensation for disadvantages, you can receive helpful advice from the responsible examiner and the representative for students with disabilities in your faculty.
If you have questions concerning how to apply for and take advantage of compensatory measures, the staff at the Examinations Offices [de] can assist you further. Depending on the examination regulations, either the dean, examination committee or authorised examiner is responsible for making the final decision on the approval and implementation of the compensatory measures.